Gryphon- Charles Baxter

    -In Gryphon, describe three ways Baxter intertwines the conventional and unconventional and for what purpose this interplay is used.-

In the short story gryphon Baxter intertwines the unconventional and unconventional with the two teachers; Mr. Hibler is the conventional teacher that teaches an ordinary consecutive lesson day after day, always following the plan and the rules. “Mr. Hibler always starts the day with the Pledge of Allegiance” He never shares experiences or “bends” the plan. While Mrs. Ferenczi is an unconventional teacher, always trying to get the students outside of the box.

When the students are studying arithmetic and a student says that six times eleven is sixty-eight Mrs. Frenczi doesn’t correct him and when another student says it’s wrong she just says that when she is in the room six times eleven is sixty-eight. “Why is it sixty-eight, when you’re in the room?” “Because it’s more interesting that way” she can not support what she is teaching so she just says that it is more interesting this is very unusual for a teacher. But with this she tries to make her students open minded.

I think that Baxter purpose was to show the reader how the changes on the people mind can be difficult but at the end it will always help.  For example at first when Mrs. Frenczi applies her way of teaching the students oppose to her but at the end they accepted and with it their minds became creative.